and through
the intervention of Cupid himself he succeeded in getting hold of a
portrait of his brother. One of the upper servants of the house, a young
girl, had taken his fancy, and he lavished such caresses on her and
inspired her with so much love, that although the whole household was
strictly forbidden to give him anything without my permission, she
procured him a portrait of the king. The unhappy prince saw the likeness
at once, indeed no one could help seeing it, for the one portrait would
serve equally well for either brother, and the sight produced such a fit
of fury that he came to me crying out, "There is my brother, and this
tells me who I am!" holding out a letter from Cardinal Mazarin which he
had stolen from me, and making a great commotion in my house.

"'The dread lest the prince should escape and succeed in appearing
at the marriage of his brother made me so uneasy, that I sent off a
messenger to the king to tell him that my casket had been opened, and
asking for instructions. The king sent back word through the cardinal
that we were both to be shut up till further orders, and that the prince
was to be made to understand that the cause of our common misfortune was
his absurd claim. I have since shared his prison, but I believe that a
decree of release has arrived from my heavenly judge, and for my soul's
health and for my ward's sake I make this declaration, that he may know
what measures to take in order to put an end to his ignominious estate
should the king die without children. Can any oath imposed under threats
oblige one to be silent about such incredible events, which it is
nevertheless necessary that posterity should know?'"

Such were the contents of the historical document given by the regent to
the princess, and it suggests a crowd of questions. Who was the prince's
governor? Was he a Burgundian? Was he simply a landed proprietor, with
some property and a country house in Burgundy? How far was his estate
from Dijon? He must have been a man of note, for he enjoyed the most
intimate confidence at the court of Louis XIII, either by virtue of
his office or because he was a favourite of the king, the queen, and
Cardinal Richelieu. Can we learn from the list of the nobles of Burgundy
what member of their body disappeared from public life along with
a young ward whom he had brought up in his own house just after the
marriage of Louis XIV? Why did he not attach his signature to the
declaration, w